The Family and Community Fishing Program will be making its final rounds of trout stockings in the next few weeks. Trout cannot survive in the ponds once the water begins to warm up, so the focus will shift to catfish throughout the spring and summer. If you’re looking for a fresh catch of trout or looking to stock up the freezer, now’s the time to hit one of the FCFP locations, available at www.agfc.com/fishing/Pages/FishingProgramsFCF.aspx

West-Central Arkansas

Lake Dardanelle — Chuck Morrison at Classic Catch Guide Service (479-774-9117) said the water is murky and the surface water temperature is in the upper 40s. Fishing upriver has been a bit tough, but he managed to catch a few on black/blue jigs and jerk baits. The points around Horsehead Creek produced a few quality fish in watermelon/red Berkley Chigger Craws and black grape worms. The deeper holes and laydowns in Spadra also held some good fish. Charles had a very good day in the shallows of Spadra last week fishing jerk baits. Jerk baits and a small Baby B-2 in green chartreuse in Cabin Creek worked as well. Stick to the points and the drops at Shoal Bay with jerk baits. At the strip pits, jerk baits, Alabama rigs and vertical jigging spoons were working well. Black/blue jigs were the ticket on the riprap. Bass are also being caught in Piney Bay along creek channel bends by a flat on jerk baits and Carolina-rigged lizards. Crappie are being taken at Horsehead, the narrows at Shoal Bay, the narrows at Piney Bay and at the nuclear plant outlet. Striped bass are also being caught at the nuclear plant outlet on white hair jigs, jerk baits, Rat-L-Traps and grubs.

Emergency commercial fishing closure — Commercial catfishing is temporarily closed on Blue Mountain Lake because of the extreme low water conditions. Commercial fishermen will not be able to harvest any species of catfish from Blue Mountain Lake through noon, March 1, 2013. Other commercial fish species may still be harvested.

Blue Mountain Lake is now full and lake can be accessed at all concrete ramps. Things should start picking up with the warm weather. Many new fish attractors were placed during the drawdown, so it’s a great time to get out and motor around the lake marking new spots on the GPS.

Harris Brake Lakeside Resort (501-889-2745) said the water is at normal level and there’s about 2 feet of visibility. The surface water temperature is 48 degrees. Bream are biting well on worms near the shore. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished around brush and docks in 6 feet of water. Bass are fair along the shore. No report on catfish.

Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) filed no report.

Lake Overcup — Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) filed no report.

Brewer Lake — Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) had no report.

Arkansas River at Morrilton — Charley’s Hidden Harbor in Oppelo said catfishing is good in deep holes on whole shad. Stripers are biting well on live shad and Hopkins spoons fished along the sides of jetties. White bass are moving into Flagg Lake Cutoff and Coppers Gap for their spawning run. They are biting well on medium-diving, shad-colored crankbaits. Spotted bass are holding along jetties, where the shad are. Fish spoons and other shad-colored lures for a chance at a trophy.

Arkansas and White river levels are available at: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=lzk

For real-time information on stream flow in Arkansas from the U.S. Geological Survey, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/rt

For water quality statistics (including temperature) in many Arkansas streams and lakes, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/current/?type=quality

For Family and Community Fishing Program: Trout have been stocked in all Family and Community Fishing Program ponds. They will hit a variety of lures, including Power Bait, frozen shrimp, nightcrawlers and small jigs and spinners.

Click http://www.agfc.com/fishing/Pages/FishingProgramsFCF.aspx for a list of program ponds and up-to-date stocking information.